The Chinese Historical Society of America occupies the former Chinatown YWCA at 965 Clay Street, a 1932 building designed by Julia Morgan, the architect of Hearst Castle. Morgan worked Chinese architectural detail into the brick structure, one of several YWCA buildings she designed.
The society was founded in 1963 and is the oldest organization in the country dedicated to documenting Chinese American history. Its museum covers the Gold Rush, the building of the transcontinental railroad, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and daily life in Chinatown across the twentieth century. Rotating exhibitions feature Chinese American artists.
The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, roughly 11am to 4pm, with low-cost admission. It sits a short walk west and uphill from the Stockton Street markets.